Secrets of the Hierarchy
by Rogue237
Summary: Rogue has been bred to be Magneto's Queen on Genosha for her entire life. What happens when a cunning thief comes into the picture and makes her realize what she's been missing? Slightly AU - taking bits from several comic canons. Mature themes.
1. Chapter 1

**You know the usual - unfortunately I don't own them :) Please review! Ideas and constructive criticism are always welcome.**

Rogue woke up to find herself alone in a cold bed. She peered sleepily at the clock – 3:24 AM. A mix of relief and annoyance surged through. Her husband Erik must've still been up working, strategizing, planning, as usual. A sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach came with the word husband, as it always did. It wasn't that she didn't love Erik, she did, but the kind of love it was held a great question mark for Rogue. She was only 23 years old and she had been groomed for this position of Lord Magneto's wife for over half of her life.

13 years ago, Rogue's mother, Mystique, was one of Erik's most trusted confidants. When she died at the hands of their enemies, the Homo sapiens, she left Erik her one prized possession – her daughter. There had always been whispers throughout the castle and the community itself as to whether or not Mystique and Erik had been lovers, but no one ever knew for sure. At 10 years old, an orphaned Rogue was taken to the servants' quarters of the castle to be raised. If she were to one day be Erik's wife, he did not want to know her as a child, nor her know him. Other than a few passing moments, they did not see each other again until Rogue reached 18 years old. At that point, Erik, more than twice her age, began to court her. The courting was more out of respect for his fallen confidant Mystique than because he wanted to. She knew she had no choice in the matter.

They were married almost a year ago in a traditional ceremony. Rogue knew her purpose – to provide Lord Magneto with an heir. Erik had recently realized that his eldest son was not fit for his replacement, much to Pietro's dismay. Rogue and Erik's love life was scarce. Between his age and the fact that he had an entire village's life on his shoulders, his prowess in the bedroom had slowed. This suited Rogue just fine, as she was unable to feel the feelings about Erik that she expected to with a husband. It wasn't that she didn't love him – they all did. He was their mutant leader. Their savior against the brutal humans that wished them harm. He provided a sanctuary for them when no one else stepped up. The island of Genosha was not perfect, but it provided them with a place to live with their own kind, and Lord Magneto kept them well protected. For all of this, she was thankful. Although she had heard of these mutants that lived among the humans, hoping to make peace – these mutants called X-Men – she considered that a ridiculous pipe dream. She was thankful for Genosha and thankful for Erik, but love was something she didn't know of. Perhaps that was love? She wrapped the blankets tighter around her and curled into a fetal position. Yes, that must be love. She shut her eyes and did her best to ignore that nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that argued with her conclusion.


	2. Chapter 2

**Don't own them! Reviews are welcome :)**

Erik Lehnsherr, known to his followers as Lord Magneto, sat in his war room with his closest associates around a modest table with maps and documents spread over its surface. His only son, Pietro, sat to his left. Pietro, alias Quicksilver, had always been a great disappointment to his father, which was one of the reasons Erik hoped to have a son with Rogue to one day take over. Pietro was hot-tempered, spontaneous and sniveling. He held none of the traits that made Erik the great leader that he was and Erik would be damned if he left his legacy in the hands of such a man. Such a _boy._ Pietro caught his father's eye and quickly looked away, fearing a confrontation. He played with his thumbs in such a way that was invisible to the naked eye due to his mutant power of super speed. Next to him, Remy LeBeau nonchalantly shuffled a deck of cards. Remy was fairly new and quickly becoming Erik's favorite henchman. Remy was motivated by nothing more than the all-mighty dollar, a language that Erik spoke well. He had no ties and cared about no one but himself. A man with no loves in his life was a free man, at Erik's beck and call, and willing to do the dirty jobs no one else would. With the power to bio-kinetically charge inorganic objects as well as enhanced agility, immunity to telepaths, and the cunning skills of a professional thief, Remy, alias Gambit, was a force to be reckoned with. Next in line was Victor Creed, or Sabretooth. He was the muscle in the group. More beast than man, Victor possessed a healing factor that made it impossible to tell if he could even be killed. With his ferocity, powerful senses and hunting skills, he was a powerful weapon, but also uncontrollable when consumed with rage. Beside Victor sat Saint-John Allerdyce, alias Pyro, barely controlled in his seat. John was, for lack of a better word, completely nuts, but he followed Erik blindly and believed in the cause. Controlling fire was his power, which he was quite proud of. Whenever it was time to start mayhem, Erik called upon him. Lastly, was Piotr Rasputin, or Colossus. Piotr was a quiet man that could change his skin into metal. By nature a gentle giant, Piotr was protective of his family and friends. When his sister became a mutant, he turned to Lord Magneto for her protection from the heartless homo sapiens, and in return he gave his service.

The inner circle of Lord Magneto was sitting in the war room at this early hour to go over information acquired from an unnamed contact that Erik had outside of the island. He had been tipped off that Genosha would be under attack by the end of the week. From which mutant hate group and when exactly he did not know. He gave assignments to each of his henchmen to dig deeper into this threat – Quicksilver to spread the word to his people to be on guard, Gambit to find him details the stealthy way, and Sabretooth to find him details through violence and intimidation. Pyro and Colossus were to be on guard in case the fight came to them earlier than expected. As usual, Colossus was put in charge with gathering the important women in his life – Rogue, and his daughters Wanda and Lorna – and taking them to hide along with Colossus' sister Illyana. There he would stand guard, as Erik was certain that Colossus would die before letting anyone get to Illyana. With that, he released the men and headed back upstairs to his bedchambers.

He found Rogue curled up in a ball, hugging the covers around herself like a child. She looked so innocent that he decided to sleep on the plush couch across from the bed instead of waking her. Guilt pierced through him and just as quickly exited when he saw her like that. In the moments that she looked almost childlike. He wondered what she would've picked for herself had she been given a choice – a _real_ choice. He soon dismissed this, however. He had made her a queen, what every woman wants. Although older, Erik was still a handsome and strong man, surely desirable. He could have his pick of any woman on the island and he had chosen her. She had been the lucky one, and he was sure that she saw it that way.


	3. Chapter 3

**Don't own them! Reviews are welcome :)**

The next evening, Rogue and Erik sat at their small table in their room sipping tea as Erik read the many important papers from the United States. In the lavish chair behind them, Pietro read the papers after his father. As he was an off-the-charts speed-reader, Pietro finished each paper within a minute of Erik handing it to him, and then had a long period to wait before the next one. In his in between periods, Pietro's eyes wandered, under the unspoken rule that they were not to speak while Lord Magneto read. Erik began to notice that every so often his eyes would lay upon Rogue, studying the side of her face that he could see. His eyes trailed over her from head to toe. Erik bit his tongue for the time being and concentrated on his paper.

Pietro eyed Rogue carefully, trying not to let his anger show on his face. He knew it wasn't completely the girl's fault, but she was 23. 23! His stepmother was a year younger than him, and poised to bear a child that would be, in a sense, his replacement. A child that would steal the empire he had waited so many years for. His gaze fell upon her soft neck, completely bare as her hair had been pulled up and toppled upon her head in a messy bun. He had, many a time, thought of wringing that soft neck until she let go of her last breath. He knew that, even with his speed, it would be impossible due to her powers. Rogue had the ability to absorb a person's personality, power, psyche – their very life essence – in a touch. Having been trained in Magneto's castle since she was a child, she was an expert with it, and deadly. She could kill a man in a matter of minutes with a finger and feel no ill effects other than a slight headache. No, he wouldn't be getting rid of this problem the old fashioned way.

Rogue felt Pietro's eyes on her, but tried to ignore it. He stared at her a lot. She couldn't blame him for hating her. Although he gushed about her to his father to save face, she knew what he thought of her. Her whole purpose was to conceive a suitable replacement for him. The uneasiness was broken when there was a knock in the doorway to the suite. In the doorframe stood a tall, lean, breathtaking man. His chiseled face was coated in day-after stubble and he carried an air of arrogance with him as he entered. He turned towards her and hesitated in his step, only for a split second. Only for the quickest moment did his unusual eyes widen as they met hers. Had she not been examining him so closely, she never would've caught his falter. He walked up to the table and extended his hand to her. "_Bonjour_, _chére_, you must be Rogue," he said as he took her delicate hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "_Je m'appelle_ Remy. I've heard so much about yo'. Rumors of yo' beauty have travelled far and wide, yet I see dey hardly do yo' justice."

A blush rose to her cheeks and she bit her lip to keep from grinning like a crazy person. "Pleasure to meet ya," she replied softly. With that, Remy asked to speak to Erik about his assignment, and the two left with Pietro following quickly after, and Rogue was left alone, confused by the rush of feelings she just had from the new stranger that begged the question – is this the feeling she was missing with Erik?

Remy had asked Lord Magneto to accompany him to the war room before speaking for a couple of reasons. One, he did not feel it was appropriate to discuss such things in front of Lord Magneto's wife, and two, he needed a moment to think and recover. He had heard that Lord Magneto's wife was much younger, but the beautiful woman he just met was even younger than he! And simply gorgeous. Her long, curly chestnut and ivory locks were piled upon her head and she wore long Grecian-style dress. Her skin was smooth and sun-kissed and her eyes were shimmering emeralds, piercing into him in such a way that stunned the confidence in his stride. No woman had ever had that effect before. It worried him. When he got close enough, her scent, blushing cheeks and her accent had only furthered the tightness in the pit of his stomach… and perhaps a place a little lower. He took some breaths and prepared to do what he did best – act. To pretend everything was normal. No one did this better than Remy and he was sure the girl wouldn't be a problem.

They reached the war room and Remy told Erik of his findings. "My contacts seem t'tink dat de information yo' got was wrong, Erik. Dey want t'keep yo' on lookout for a week and den, when yo' drop yo' guard, dat's when de attack will come."

"How sure are you of this, Remy?" Erik asked sternly.

"I heard it from _trios _different people dat don' have any knowledge of one another."

Erik stroked his chin thoughtfully, again noting that Remy was quickly become his favorite associate. "Good work. Pietro – spread the word. We will keep on guard for the next week as planned, but the real alert will come after that. I want every man, woman and child on Genosha to be aware of this threat. When it comes time to fight, we may need them," he ordered, barely finishing his last word before Quicksilver was gone in a blur. He turned back to Remy. "That was excellent work, Remy. Take the rest of the evening off. Explore the amenities that our castle has to offer, as I know you haven't been here long. There are servants if you should require anything, as well as a training room, a pool, and an entertainment theater. Please enjoy it, as we do not get time off often." With this, Erik turned on his heel and exited the room as Remy set off to explore his new home, hopeful that he wouldn't run into Lord Magneto's wife again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Don't own them! Reviews are welcome :)**

Remy's self-tour of the castle had taken a bit longer than he'd predicted and by the time he decided on a dip in the pool, the sun was already setting. He changed into his swimsuit in his room, grabbed a towel and headed for the elaborate pool he had found earlier.

The pool could only be described as an oasis. Though inside, it was surrounded by lush green and tall palm trees, with a clear glass ceiling that let in the natural light. The pool itself was encased by rocks with an honest-to-God waterfall on the far end. He stepped into the enclosure to find that he wasn't alone. Before him, at the edge of the pool was a goddess dressed in a Grecian garb. Although her back was to him, he was sure that it was Rogue. He watched like a silent predator as she reached up and unbuckled the dress at one shoulder and then the other. It fell away, revealing a small green bikini that hugged on to curves born out of a dream. His dream. She pulled the hair ties out of her hair as a cascade of curls fell and settled at the middle of her back. Remy rearranged his towel to cover the tightness in his suit, but couldn't look away. She skillfully dove into the pool, swimming its length once before pulling herself out. She stopped in her tracks when she saw the man from earlier standing there with a look on his face she couldn't quite place. "Oh, Ah'm… sorry. Ah thought Ah was alone," she said, unsure as to why she was apologizing.

Remy tried to make his mouth work, honestly he did, but this tormenter in front of him, who had rendered him speechless while fully clothed was now half naked and soaking wet. He willed himself to speak, and after an uncomfortably long pause, he found his voice. "_D__ésole, Madame_ Lehnsherr_. _'M de one dat should apologize. I t'ought de pool would be empty. I can come back later, _chére_."

She noted the change in monikers he had given her from when he had met her earlier and shrugged it off, figuring that, like most men, he was intimidated by her husband. "Don't be silly. This pool is big enough for half the island, Ah'm sure it can handle two people."

"Merci, _Madame _Lehnsherr," he said again. He knew it was unnecessary to call her that, but at the moment he desperately needed to keep reminding himself of who she was. Lord Magneto's _wife_. He was sure the man had killed for much less. He waited for her to step back into the pool before throwing his towel on a chair and quickly jumping in himself, as to hide the problem in his shorts that had not yet subsided. "Speakin' of, where is de _homme_?" he questioned.

Rogue's face turned solemn as she turned to face him, at the opposite width of the pool. "He's workin'," she said softly. "He's always workin'," she whispered so quietly that, had it not been for the echo in the pool room, he would not have heard it.

Something tugged at his heart when he saw the unhappiness on her face. He thought for a moment, mulling over whether or not he should ask his next question, before deciding to take the risk. "How did yo' _duex_ meet, anyway?"

The question was loaded. Most people didn't know that Rogue had lived in that castle her entire life, and most people didn't know that she was Mystique, the legend's daughter. The general story that people accepted was that Rogue moved to Genosha at 18 when her powers had begun to be noticed from the humans in her home town. Here, she caught Lord Magneto's eye with her beauty and the two dated and fell in love. This was, of course, far from the truth, but it's the story she usually stuck with. Looking into the unique eyes of the Cajun man standing across from her, she could feel the truth on the tip of her tongue as opposed to the lie that usually came out so easily. Disturbed by this, she just shook her head and looked away. "Ah'd rather not talk about it if ya don't mind."

It was clear to Remy that something was off about the widely known story of the couple, but he kept his mouth shut, accepting her wish. From there, they got into lighter conversations, quickly realizing that, as opposite as they may be, they always shared a lot of similarities.

"Ah think Ah remember Pietro mentionin' that you're the one with the incessant card shufflin'. Do ya play poker?"

"Do I play? _Ch__ére_, yo' lookin' at a world class poker player. De best!"

Rogue rolled her eyes for what must've been the tenth time in 20 minutes at the man's arrogance. "Well, we'll have to play sometime and see if that's true, Swamp Rat," she dared, using the nickname she had so recently dubbed him that he swore he hated, but really loved.

"Anytime, if yo' t'ink yo' up for de challenge," he said huskily as he slowly walked closer to her. They had each been gradually closing the gap between them until they met at the middle of the shallow end of the pool. Remy, wet hair slicked to his forehead and a burning fire in his eyes finally closed the gap completely, angling his head down towards her, their bodies a breath away from touching. He clenched and unclenched his jaw, never breaking her gaze. Thoughts of both lust and his untimely demise played back and forth, weighing the option of attempting to take her right there. He could slam her up against the side of the pool and ravage her, praying that no one walked in.

Something growing hard and hot against her hip broke her from her daze. "Ah, um. Yeah, sure, Remy. Ah just, Ah've got to go now. Dinner with Erik," she mumbled before making a break for the pool steps, grabbing her belongings and racing out of the room before Remy could even gather his words. He stood, abandoned, in the pool, confused and aching in all of the wrong areas. He wasn't sure if the aching was worse in his loins or in his heart. They both meant bad news, but he knew of a way to get rid of one. He exited the pool, wrapping a towel around his waist and headed out, oblivious to the eyes that had been watching the couple with a mischievous grin.


	5. Chapter 5

**Don't own them! Reviews are welcome :) Kataract52 wanted longer chapters so here ya go! *Warning - story has some M-rated moments in this chapter***

Remy bent the maid forcefully over the table in his room. Without bothering with foreplay, he hiked her skirt up, pulled her panties down, along with his own pants and underwear and entered her roughly, causing her to gasp and grab the edges of the desk. He began thrusting into her roughly, focusing on the curly brown hair she had flowing down her back. She moaned an "oh God" that lacked the Southern twang he was trying to envision. He used one hand to cover her mouth, which she found desirably kinky and he found absolutely necessary. He focused so hard that he could practically hear that soft, Southern voice moaning his name. The maid suddenly began to spasm, inadvertently being brought to orgasm even though, unusually for him, that was not his intent. This quickie was for one reason and one reason only – to keep himself from banging his boss' wife. He grunted to a finish, powerfully biting down on his lip to keep from screaming Rogue's name.

He stalled for only a moment before slipping out of her, discarding his protection and pulling up his pants. The maid fixed herself up as well, but seemed to be delaying her departure, basking in the afterglow and hoping to extend her time with the thief. Remy was unquestioningly uninterested. Before he could ask her to politely make her exit, the special phone that only Erik had access to sprang to life. He opened the phone to find the message "WAR ROOM – 5 MINUTES" sprawled across it. He turned to the maid whose name he couldn't place and held up the phone. "Désole, petit, duty calls." He left the room before she could reply.

Remy settled into a chair around the War room table, noticing the absence of Pyro in the inner circle members. Erik walked into the room with a stern look on his face. He took his seat at the head of the table and looked from man to man. "Saint-John Allerdyce needs to be dealt with," he spoke coldly. Remy looked around, not letting the surprise show on his face. He knew what that meant in the thieves world, but he hadn't pegged Lord Magneto as a killer of his own kind.

Piotr was the first to hesitantly speak. "Vat did he do?" he asked in a thick Russian accent.

"What he did is of no consequence to you! He has betrayed me, and his time has run out! That is all you need to know!" Erik raised his voice. "Now who is taking care of it?"

"I will do it, father," Pietro quickly spoke up, desperate for a chance to prove himself.

"No, Pietro, I can't risk any mistakes with this. Sabretooth," he said, turning his gaze towards the beast across from him, "I need you to handle this. Quietly."

Sabretooth gave a sideways grin before leaving the room, adjourning the meeting.

John danced around his room, his speakers blaring a rock song with no real melody. It wasn't until the third knock that he heard someone at the door. He opened it to find Sabretooth grinning back at him. "Aye, mate. Ya look so creepy when ya smile like that," he said in an Aussie twang. "What's up?"

"Lord Magneto has given me a mission."

"Good onya, mate. What's that got ta do with me?"

"You're comin' with me, John."

John felt an uneasiness rise in his stomach as the beast continued to grin at him. "Just let me get my gear on."

The two men walked in an uncomfortable silence out into the woods in the back of the castle. Any time spent alone with Victor would be deemed uncomfortable and silent, but this walk had John in a state of nervousness that he couldn't shake. About 3 miles out there was a boat they used to sneak into the United States or where ever else off the island they needed to go. Victor came to a halt at the 2-mile mark. "Sorry, Johnny boy. It's the end of the road for you."

A look of confirmed fear crossed John's face. "How'd the old man find out?" he asked solemnly.

"Doesn't really matter now, does it Johnny boy?" Victor taunted.

"Look, it's not like I was just havin' a naughty with the boss' daughter, Vic. I love her. Lorna and I, we're in love!"

"Oh, so that's what has the old man's knickers in a twist," Victor chuckled. "Henchmen 101, Johnny, you never sleep with the boss' daughter."

"Come on, Vic! Let me go! I'll leave! You'll never see me again, bloke, I promise you that!"

"We could do that… but then where would the fun be for me?" Sabretooth asked as he launched towards him. Pyro jumped back just in time to only be nicked by Sabretooth's claws. Pyro started his flamethrower and washed Sabretooth once over with fire before the brute rolled away, extinguishing the flames in the process.

Pyro used this free moment to start running, unaware the chase only excited Sabretooth more for the kill. He ran only seconds before Sabretooth was upon him. He turned around at the last moment fired his flamethrower out to the animal. Sabretooth made a quick dive to the left, missing the flame and reaching one sharp nail out to the hose on Pyro's flamethrower. With a flick of his wrist, the hose was cut, thus cutting out Pyro's access to fire, and cutting out his hope to live.

Sabretooth towered over the man, snarling down at him. Pyro cocked back a fist and struck him hard across the face. Sabretooth laughed. "Now that I can respect, Johnny-boy," he grinned manically. "Just for that, I'll make this quicker than disemboweling your insides for you to watch yourself die like I'd planned." Sabretooth wrapped a strong hand around Pyro neck and lifted him off the ground, squeezing tightly and watching his legs try to find ground. With a crunch, he crushed Pyro's windpipe and his legs stopped flailing. "You're welcome."

Lorna cried for days when Erik told her that John had decided to join the X-Men and left with hardly any notice. Rogue tried to comfort her, as well as tried to get more information about Erik's suspicious story, but she was unsuccessful on both attempts. During these days she hadn't had time to talk to Remy at all, but whenever she was in a room with him she could feel his aching eyes on her. It stirred something in her that she didn't recognize, a primal feeling in her bones. When Lorna stopped crying on the third day, Rogue resumed her daily activities, though the circumstances of John's departure still nagged at her.

She made her way down to the training room to get in some practice. Although Erik preferred his wife and daughters not to fight, he was no fool. He knew that one day they might not have a choice, and in that situation he wanted them to be able to defend themselves. She reached the training room, silently praying that there was someone other than Pietro there to spar with. Quicksilver was so fast that, instead of fighting, she felt like she was chasing the whole session. She was both relieved and nervous to find the new Cajun there instead. She seemed to have caught him slightly off guard as his swings on a punching bag wavered slightly at her entrance. Rogue couldn't have known what a feat it was to catch the man off guard.

"Bonjour, Madame Lehnsherr," he smiled at her.

"Ya can call me Rogue, ya know. Everybody does," she said to him, tired of the formality he was insisting upon.

"D'accord. Gettin' a workout in dis afternoon?"

"Actually Ah was hopin' to get some practice in. Usually one of the guys or Lorna or Wanda are in here to spar with me."

"If yo' so obliged, chére, I t'ink I can help wit' dat."

She eyed him cautiously, realizing that she didn't even know what his power was. If anything, that would prove a challenge to her normal routine. "Alright, Swamp Rat, if ya think ya can handle me," she answered with a cock of her eyebrow and a sway in her step as she moved center ring of the large training area.

Remy smirked appreciatively at her flirting as he followed her. It was just then that he noticed that she was wearing a green sleeveless spandex suit that hugged every inch of her, with the top unzipped just enough to show a tease of cleavage. He definitely wasn't going to mind getting his hands on her. She turned to him when she reached the middle of the area and gave him a once over. "Ya gonna put a shirt on, Swamp Rat?"

"What's de matter? Don' like de view?" he asked cockily.

Her cheeks flushed a shade of pink before answering. "Ya gonna be out in two seconds flat with that much skin exposed," she explained, though he still looked dumbfounded, clearly uneducated as to what her powers were.

"Gambit'll fine," he answered coldly, dropping into a readied stance.

She noticed the change in name and tone and figured this would, indeed, be a worthwhile spar. She dropped into a fighting stance and the two began to circle one another. Remy attacked first with lightening quick jabs to her body, ending by twisting her inward to a hold around her arms. He felt satisfied for a moment and then… he was waking up, realizing that he was flat on his back on the floor. "…de hell?" he asked, confusion knitted on his brow.

"Ah can absorb life essence from someone with skin to skin contact," she grinned proudly. "Ah only took a smidge of yours, since Ah assumed ya weren't informed of my powers."

"Impressive, chére, I'll give you dat," he said, accepting her hand to help him up. "What exactly does 'life essence' entail anyway?"

"Thoughts, personality, powers, whatever Ah feel like takin'. Or Ah can just use it to knock ya unconscious like Ah just did to you."

"Dat's a pretty cool power."

"Thanks, Ah know," she replied cheekily. "Ready to give it another go?"

"Absolument."

The two began their dance again, Remy careful to only place jabs to spots covered by her bodysuit. Rogue was doing her best to remember to rely on her fighting skills as much as her powers when a glowing card brushed past her body, causing a rip in the stomach of her suit. She looked back towards him to see him holding up a glowing card in his hand. She stopped for a second, admiring it, before he whipped it towards her. She dove to the side before an explosive pop rang through the training room. She looked up at him with mischief in her eyes. "That's pretty cool, Swamp Rat. Ah think Ah'll try it on for size."

She dove towards him, just missing a bare calf before she sprung to her feet. She battled towards him with new vigor and Remy found himself actually having to concentrate. She distracted him with an elbow to the jaw before dropping into a low leg swoop and toppling the Cajun onto his back. She pounced on top of him, straddling his waist so that his arms were pinned to his sides. She reached her face low, stopping only an inch away from his with a smile the Cheshire cat would envy. "Any last words?" she asked him, reaching her hand to a breath away from his face.

He looked defiantly into her eyes, trying to ignore that her warm center was so tightly pressed against his. "Bang, yo' dead."

It was at that moment that Rogue began to notice the heat rising through her. She hadn't given it much thought, as the mysterious Cajun man had been making her feel hot since the moment she laid eyes on him, but now she started to notice the magenta glow coming from her suit. Remy's hand was skillfully twisted to grip the edge of her pant leg, sending the charge through her entire suit. Neither of them dared to move. "Ya'd kill us both?" she questioned.

"I'd rather tie den lose, chére," he whispered, looking at her in such a way that she was sure there was a double meaning to his words. Before she had time to process it further they were startled by clapping and a hearty laugh coming from the doorway. They looked up to see Erik, fully amused by their show.

"Well, Rogue, dear, it looks like you've finally found a sparring partner that can keep up with you," Erik delighted in the discovery.

Remy quickly uncharged her suit, immediately followed by Rogue detangling herself from the warm body beneath her and standing. "Ah guess so, Erik, though Ah'm sure Remy was takin' it easy on me." She hurried over to her husband to stand by his side, worried that he would notice the tension between Remy and herself the way she did. It felt so thick to her.

"Non, Rogue, yo' a tres bien fighter," he answered sincerely. Erik put a proud arm around his wife, causing Remy to look away, an uncomfortable knot forming in his gut. "I guess I'd better go shower up," he excused himself, unable to handle the view any longer.


	6. Chapter 6

**Don't own them! Reviews are welcome :)**

Remy, bare-chested in shorts, paced his room at 3 am. It had been 4 days since he'd sparred with Rogue and he'd had his way with the maid every night since. It was no longer helping, if it ever even did to begin with. Now all he had was a constant hard-on and a smitten cleaning lady. The death of Pyro served as a very clear sign, no, threat that he needed to stop thinking of Erik's wife in this way. If the man would kill someone for loving his daughter, as Sabretooth had told them when he returned with a chuckle in his tone, then it was impossible to imagine the horrors he'd dish out to the man lusting after his wife. Unable to shoo away thoughts of green eyes and longing looks, he went down to the kitchen for a snack.

The castle was completely silent and, the skilled thief he was, stayed that way as he swept through the halls. He stealthily opened the door to the grand kitchen to see a bi-color-haired beauty already occupying it. Her back towards him, as he had seen her that first day, she reached up towards a tall cupboard over the lavish granite countertops by the sink. The short red silk robe she wore rode up higher and higher as she attempted to reach the top shelf. It was the end of him when a peek of her rounded behind became visible, clad in tiny black lace boy short panties. He stifled a groan from what he was certain was some kind of Rogue-specific blue balls and cleared his throat to alert her of his presence. "Need some help, chére?"

Rogue's heart nearly jumped out of her chest at the sound of his husky voice. Chills surged down her spine and she barely stopped herself from gasping his name. She smiled gently at him. "That's OK, Ah almost got it. Ah was just tryin' to reach the hot cocoa on the top here," she explained as she turned around and went back to reaching.

He was behind her before she even heard him move. She could feel the heat that he was radiating behind her. "I can get it for yo' Rogue," he whispered in her ear, his warm breath dancing along her neck. He boldly closed the gap between their bodies as he reached up for the object of her desires, sandwiching her hard between him and the counter top. She let out an involuntary moan when she felt his hardness against her that almost caused him to drop the can of cocoa.

When he placed it onto the counter top she pressed her bottom against his crotch and away from the counter enough to give her room to turn around and face him. When she did he saw her flushed face and her plump pink lips slightly parted. She breathed heavily as she looked into his eyes that were set ablaze. She tentatively ran her fingers along his well-sculpted chest and abs, causing him to shake inwardly. "We can't," she said, pleading in her eyes.

"Je n'aime pas." ("I don't care.")

"Ya should care, Swamp Rat. You're gonna end up just as dead as me if we get caught," she told him in a harsh whisper.

"It's worth the risk to moi," he confessed. Suddenly his body stiffened, and as soon as he'd come he was gone, leaving a bewildered Rogue behind.

Seconds later Pietro stepped into the kitchen, looking tired and out of it. People just don't understand how hard it is to sleep when your mind literally runs a mile a minute. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Rogue standing, looking dumbfounded. "Hello, Rogue," he spoke coldly. "Are you just in here by yourself?"

"Yeah, of course, why wouldn't Ah be?"

"I just thought I heard voices," he eyed her suspiciously.

"Ah was just talkin' to myself – tryin' to decide whether or not Ah want some cocoa before Ah try gettin' back to back. Ah think Ah'm gonna pass. Night, Pietro," she said so quickly even Pietro was impressed. She rushed passed him and out of the kitchen. He followed her at a distance to confirm she was actually going to her room.

* * *

For the next week, Rogue did all she could to avoid Remy, or even being in the same room as him. He was in hell. All he could think about was what happened in the kitchen, only in his mind it ended with him taking her enthusiastically on the countertop. He knew it was for the best, but he couldn't shake his desire for her. In fact, in the past week, it had grown to consume his thoughts completely. He was lying in his bed, thinking of her when the first explosion occurred.

Remy was already up the stairs and half way down the hall before the first explosion came to end, instinctively running towards the master bedchambers. He arrived just as Erik and Rogue were running out. Erik pushed Rogue into Remy's arms. "Go and meet Colossus in the shelter! He'll have his hands full gathering Wanda, Lorna and Illyana! Then you come fight!" he shouted as he hurriedly placed his helmet atop his head, sure that the battle was already ensuing outside.

Rogue struggled against Remy's arms. "No! Ah can fight for my people! Ah've been trainin' for years to do it!" she cried after Erik, but he was already gone.

"Non, chére, we gotta get you somewhere safe, d'accord?"

She whipped around to face him, still pressed closely in his arm. "Ah could have ya on the ground in 10 seconds flat, Swamp Rat!" she spat angrily.

Her passion only excited him. "Don't tempt moi wit' dat offer." They stared into each other's eyes, each daring the other to make a move until a second explosion literally shook them out of their trance. Remy grabbed her hand and they ran down the twists and turns of the castle to the cellar. When they reached the top of the stairs to the shelter, Remy released her hand. "You'll be safe down dere, chére, I gotta go fight." He turned on his heel to run but was stopped by a strong hand on his arm. He turned back to Rogue and was immediately enveloped in a passionate kiss.

She kissed him with the ferocity and fervor of someone sending off a lover to war, uncertain if they would see each other again. She didn't know what had possessed her to do it other than fear and this new feeling stirring inside her – passion. He kissed her back with the same intensity, losing his hands in her curly locks. He had dreamed of this very moment, and yet it surpassed anything he could've imagined. After a few moments, he reluctantly broke away, knowing that he didn't stop at that moment he wouldn't be able to. He stared into her eyes for a moment after the kiss, panting to match her own. "Yo' save that for me. 'M coming back t'get it." With that, he ran into the action, and Rogue opened the door to the shelter stairs to wait it out with the royal family.

* * *

The battle, though starting with a bang, was a horribly uneven fight. Once Lord Magneto came outside the helicopters providing the explosions were quickly dealt with. The small amount of soldiers on foot from boats were taken care of in a similar fashion by Lord Magneto's troops. The battlefield was quiet within a half hour, leaving the mutants puzzled. Pietro shouted congratulations on their victory, his spirits high as the 5 remaining inner circle members joined in the war room. Remy quickly burst his bubble. "Non, dat was too easy t'be a real battle. Dey were testin' us, tryin' t'see what our strengths and weaknesses are."

"My thoughts exactly, Remy," Erik concurred, dropping a strong hand on the man's shoulder, beaming like a proud father. Pietro sank into his chair, blood boiling. "They were simply studying us for the next fight. We have some time, but I will gather information from my contact to see when we can expect the next wave."

"What would you like us to do while you're in the States, father?" Pietro asked, a hint of desperation in his tone.

Erik's eyes narrowed at him. "I don't know, Pietro. As the Lord of this island, I don't have the time nor patience to plan your day-to-day activities. Remy will be my contact if I have orders to give to the group."

Pietro's heart sunk. "But, father? I am always your contact."

Erik did his best to control the rage he felt with his inadequate offspring. "Just do as I say, Pietro, please," he said through gritted teeth. "And try to keep your roaming eyes away from your stepmother while I'm gone."


	7. Chapter 7

**Don't own them! Reviews are welcome :)**

Pietro raced out of the meeting to his room, seething. Did his father really think he was looking at that woman? He hated her. He did his best to pretend he liked her in Erik's presence and look where it had gotten him! He couldn't win. If he hated his father's wife, he was a bad son. If he pretended to like his father's wife, he was a bad son. He ran a quick fist into his closet door, cracking the wooden frame.

And now father had a new favorite, Remy LeBeau, who was quickly becoming a thorn in Pietro's side. Remy LeBeau, who might make it so that he didn't have to wait until Rogue bore a child to be thrown from rightful heir. The same Remy LeBeau that he saw flirting with dear step-mom at the pool. He didn't have anything on them yet, but he saw the fire in their eyes and the closeness of their bodies. Now all he had to do was catch them and he would be back in his father's good graces. With his father gone, he found this to be the perfect opportunity. He gathered his composure and prepared to stake out watching Remy's door all night to see how long the man stayed put while the boss was away.

* * *

Remy LeBeau was no fool. He knew the stakes in this. After Rogue had kissed him and Lord Magneto had left the island, it all seemed too easy. The thief in him was on guard, waiting for something to ruin his chances with the green-eyed beauty that was currently on the floor above him, in her bedchambers. One floor above and two rooms over to be precise. He stuck his head out of his window and searched the night-covered woods that their windows faced for anyone out and about. As it was late and they were on the back of the castle, he found the movement to be scarce, save for a few guards with their backs towards him. He pulled a black mask over his face, completing his fully black ensemble and edged out the window, climbing up and over until he was peering into the master suite. Here he saw Rogue pacing, nervously wringing her hands in front of the door, stopping every so often to peer out of the peephole.

A smirk marked his covered face as he swung his body silently into the room, pulling off his mask. "Who yo' lookin' for chére? Whoever he is must be une lucky homme."

Rogue nearly jumped out of her skin as she whipped around towards him. She clutched at her red silk robe as she caught her breath. "Swamp Rat! Ya nearly gave me a heart attack! Ah wasn't expectin' ya to come through the window."

"Mais, yo' were expectin' me?"

"Ah may have had a feelin'," she answered. They stood there at opposite ends of the room for a moment before rushing towards each other. He swooped her up in his arms, meeting her lips with his. He picked her up and laid her gently on the plush carpet beneath their feet, both silently agreeing to not use her marital bed for such a thing. With a flick of his wrist, Remy untied the robe and it fell away, revealing the absence of any clothing underneath. His breath hitched as his eyes wandered over her body. For a long moment he was silent, looking at her, until concern etched her face. "Somethin' wrong?"

"Non, of course not, chére. I just can' believe how belle yo' are," he said with sincerity in his eyes. This brought a smile to her face and, satisfied, he undressed himself and laid beside her.

He could read the nervousness in her eyes and he guessed that Erik was the only man she'd ever been with. He made it a point to show her how it felt to be worshipped. He worked her body attentively, lavishing attention from head to toe and, when she was good and ready, entered her with care. Their first time was slow and special, a declaration of love-making as opposed to sex. It was one of the very few times Remy LeBeau taken a woman that way. For Rogue, it held everything she felt was missing from her life.

In the afterglow, Rogue curled up into Remy's body as they continued to lie on the floor. They were both silent and still, minds racing with a mixture of bliss and fear of what they had just done, and what they were both certain would happen again. An hour later, they were redressed and Remy was checking outside again to make his exit. Before he left, he pulled her into a kiss, leaving them both breathless. He looks deeply into her eyes, the words Je t'aime on the tip of his tongue but unable to break free. He swallowed his sentiments in exchange for a promise to see her soon and was gone.

* * *

For three of the next four nights Remy found himself with Rogue. On the fifth night, Erik returned, and Rogue figured her time with Remy was over. She tried her best to hide her sadness around Erik and her lust around Remy. That Sunday, they all gathered in the dining hall for dinner together - the inner circle, the royal family, and some of the higher up staff members of the castle. They sat at a long table filled with various foods with Erik at the head. Rogue sat to his right followed by his children, with Remy to his left, followed by the other members of the inner circle.

Lorna looked to her left and smiled as she caught Rogue's eyes. She always took the seat next to Rogue as her siblings didn't much care for the young girl being their step-mother. While Wanda didn't hate Rogue in the way that Pietro did, she didn't care for the fact that her step-mother was a year younger than her. She kept her contact with the woman civil, but brief. Lorna, on the other hand, thought of her more like a friend. Rogue never pressed them to treat her like a mother, as she realized how uncomfortable that may be. She only ever tried to be a friend to them, and Lorna appreciated it. At 3 years younger than Rogue and 4 years younger than her elder siblings, Lorna was truly mature beyond her years. She always had the idea that Rogue, if she had the choice, wouldn't have chosen this life.

Rogue had been the only one other than Wanda that had known about Lorna's relationship with John before he left. Lorna shared with her the fears she had when Erik told her that John had left to join the X-Men. She knew that John would never have joined Xavier's group, his morals were the opposite of what they touted. Rogue had promised her to try and find out the truth, but her father was no fool. He knew that Lorna was his only child that Rogue was close with and if there was something he didn't want her to know, he would keep it from his wife as well.

A normally quiet person, Lorna enjoyed their weekly group dinners for the observation. To her right she noticed Wanda giving a wink to her secret lover, a bold move that luckily went unnoticed by Erik. She observed her brother stealing evil glances towards the head of he table every so often, but mainly staring at his plate, soundlessly shoveling massive amounts of food into his mouth to compensate for his high metabolism due to his mutation. She soon became transfixed on the relatively new associate of her father's, Remy LeBeau. She began to notice that every time her father looked away, his unusual eyes would gaze upon Rogue with a look that she could only assume was not meant to be seen. Curiosity pulled at her to turn and see if Rogue was returning the look, but instead she put her head down, focusing on her dinner, assuming it might be better if she didn't know.

* * *

Three nights of being unable to sleep later, Rogue once again found herself headed to the kitchen at 3am. To her surprise, she walked in to find Remy sitting at the island. He seemed to be waiting for her and rose to his feet as she came in. "Remy, what are ya doin' here?"

"Been here every night since Erik got back, chére, hopin' t'see yo'."

She saw the longing in his eyes and practically melted. She walked over to him, careful to leave some space between them. "Ya know we can't do this with him here, Remy, it's too dangerous," she explained, her eyes pleading with him. She knew if he tried to touch her, all would be lost. She couldn't resist him.

He lifted a hand to her face and caressed her cheek, her eyes closing and leaning into his touch. "Can' help it, Rogue. I see yo' and I just have t'touch you," he whispered, his other hand slipping quickly under her robe and brushing against her lower stomach, playing with the edge of her panties. She visibly shivered as his hand touched a sensitive spot on her pelvis.

She looked at him with lost eyes as he continued to explore under her robe. She found herself subconsciously closing the gap between them, only able to force an urgent whisper of his name out before her voice became useless and his lips were upon hers.

It was different this time. The languid love-making they had experienced before had been replaced with a fevered passion. He kissed her forcefully, demanding access to her mouth and his hands moved hungrily over her body. She put her back to the island and slid up on the surface, putting her at just the right height to wrap her legs around Remy's body. He palmed her breast as she slid his shorts just low enough to free his constricted member. He moaned lightly into her mouth as she took a confident hold of it with an assertiveness that he hadn't yet seen in her. Unable to wait any longer, he pushed her panties out of the way and entered her.

Skipping a slow build up, he pounded into her, placing a hand over her mouth to muffle her moans. She hit her peak quickly and he followed soon after, the days of missing her accumulating in one last thrust. He stifled a grunt as he his body slumped over her, leaving one last kiss on her collarbone before gaining his common sense and pulling away. The two quickly fixed themselves up and, with one last risky kiss, went their separate ways.


	8. Chapter 8

**Don't own them! Reviews are welcome :)**

For the next 2 months, it continued. Though never as often as they liked, Rogue and Remy found times to sneak off together as often as they could, becoming riskier with every passing time. Rogue was in love with him - she knew that now for sure, and though they hadn't said the words to one another she knew in her heart that he loved her too to risk this relationship. At times she even thought that she might be able to be happy this way - to have him partially being better than not at all. That was, until her world came crashing down on the day she realized she was pregnant.

Rogue was now officially three weeks late into an always-on-time cycle and she knew that she needed to see Genosha's doctor that resided in the castle, but seeing him meant alerting Erik to her pregnancy. While there was a slim chance the baby would be Erik's, she knew it was most likely Remy's. For the past two months, she and Erik had only been intimate twice, at his insistence. She did her best to convince him she wasn't in the mood, but knew that she couldn't do that too often or it would arise suspicion. She hated herself those nights, but put on the best show she could. She sat, brows furrowed in her room, trying to think of a way that this could be alright. After a few hours of thinking, she made her way to Erik's war room to tell him the news.

For the past 2 months, Remy had become Erik's go-to guy for everything, except for the extremely dirty work that still resided with Victor. Remy had become Erik's most trusted confidant for business, but he did not mistake this trust as friendship. To Erik, Remy was a means to get things done efficiently. He was a tool to be used, and Remy understood that and did not take this as weakness. Erik would kill Remy just as he did John if he needed to.

Remy knew something was wrong when she walked into the war room. No one outside of the inner circle ever came in that room. A knot began to twist in his stomach as he noticed the worry etched on her face.

All eyes flicked towards her as she gathered the courage to speak. "Rogue, what are you doing in here? You know you are not to set foot in here," Erik stated, firm, but calm.

"Ah understand, but it couldn't wait," she lied. "Ah'm pregnant," she stated, eyes flicking towards Pietro just to keep them from Remy. She knew his poker face was flawless, but she did not trust her own. She met Pietro's eyes to see hate radiating from them. She opted to look down at her feet instead.

Erik rose from his seat, looking at her with a mix of happiness and suspicion. He followed her eyes to Pietro's and a frown flickered across his face before he plastered a smile over it. "That's fantastic, my dear! Remy," he said, looking towards him, "take Rogue to Dr. McCoy, please. I have more work to do here, but I'll want the doctor's full report when you return." Rogue finally let out a small breath, realizing her assumption that Erik would have Remy take her was correct. Remy did everything for him these days.

Remy nodded, trying not to let the shock show on his face and swooped the girl out of the room. They walked halfway to the doctor's in silence before he found an empty room to pull her in. He stared at her, mouth ajar, looking for the right words. Remy was not naive. He knew by the fact that he was still breathing that Rogue must also be sleeping with Erik. When he finally found his voice, all that came out was a whisper. "Chére?"

"Ah don't know Remy. Ah've only slept with Erik twice since we started, ya know? Ah... Ah couldn't keep refusing him. Ah didn't want to…with him… Ah didn't, but Ah didn't want him findin' out, Ah just.."

Remy cut her off by pressing a kiss to her lips. He wiped away a spilled tear and cradled her face in his hands. "I know, chére, it's okay."

"Ah think it's yours Remy. Timing-wise, Ah don't think it can be his. What are we gonna do, Remy? You know Dr. McCoy will have the exact date. With all that Shi'ar technology they've got, Erik will know!"

"It's gonna be okay, Rogue. Erik asked me t'give him the report, I'll just tell him whatever date you tell me to, d'accord?"

This calmed Rogue slightly, and she was able to gather herself enough to make it down to the doctor's chambers. Dr. Henry McCoy, also known as Hank, was a pleasant man whose intelligence surpassed even his kindness. Although Hank followed the X-Men mantra that humans and mutants could, indeed, co-exist peacefully, he did respect Erik's love for his fellow people. Lord Magneto acquired Shi'ar technology through a dirty deal with D'Ken years ago, and Hank couldn't pass up the opportunity to work with it. Though he disagreed with some of Erik's actions, he believed the man did a good thing when he created this mutant sanctuary.

Hank was pleased to see the first lady come through the door with a request for a pregnancy exam. Hank recognized one of Erik's associates that brought her in as Remy LeBeau. He thought it slightly odd that the man insisted on staying in the room during the exam, but he figured it must've been to relay everything to Erik. He hooked her stomach up to various electrodes, not needing to look inside due to the vast intelligence of the Shi'ar medical equipment. "Well, now Rogue, with this amazing equipment I will be able to tell you not only the conception and birth date with amazing accuracy, but it can also predict gender, physical features and mutation."

"It can tell you all of that this early?" she asked, amazement momentarily replacing her fear.

"Absolutely!" Hank replied, delighted in her reaction. "Let's get started shall we?"

As he turned on a button, Rogue instinctively grabbed onto Remy's hand. Noticing the puzzled look on the doctor's face, she quickly turned to Remy. "Sorry, Remy, Ah'm just a little nervous. You don't mind, do ya, sugah?" she asked, trying her best to sound calm.

"Course not, chére. It's what I'm here for, non?"

This seemed to satisfy the doctor as he went back to the machine, which was beginning to spill out paper. "Let's see what we have here," Hank said as he pulled the findings along with his chair over next to Rogue. "Looks like the conception date was July 25th." As he read this, Rogue's grip tightened on Remy's hand. The doctor continued. "The baby's birth date will be April 22, so you'll be right on time. The baby is a boy... I'm sure Erik will be thrilled to hear that! Brown hair, and eyes are..." Hank's voice hitched slightly as he looked at the paper. His eyes flicked to Remy and then to Rogue before he finished his sentence. "Eyes are green irises with black sclera."

For once, Rogue had a quicker reaction than Remy. While he stood there, wide-eyed and frozen, she whipped a hand out to grab Hank's. She had to find something - anything to use against him. Luckily for her, people's biggest secrets are usually top of mind and the easiest to find. She pulled back just seconds later, leaving him slightly out of breath. She sat facing him, waiting until he was with it enough to focus on her. She spoke coldly, not sounding like herself. "Dr. McCoy. You will record in your notes that the conception date was July 10th... instead of right on time, Ah will be a little late. The baby will have brown hair and green eyes with white sclera." She paused. "What are his powers?"

"Like father, like son, plus a mild healing factor," he answered, unblinking.

"You will record magnetic powers - like Erik and Lorna."

"I understand your predicament, Rogue, and I'm sorry, but I can't risk being caught in such a lie," Hank said.

"Ah believe you will risk it, or Ah'll fill in Erik on your close relationship with Wanda."

Hank's eyes widened at her words, his breath hitched in his throat. "I don't... How did... You saw that?"

"Ah did."

"And trust me, homme, yo' don' want to be caught doin' dat," Remy spoke up, finally finding his voice, "just ask John."

Rogue's head whipped towards Remy at the comment, wondering what it meant, but biting her tongue for the time being. Hank looked between the two of them, gulping loudly before shaking his head in silent agreement.

* * *

Rogue's mind raced as she waded in the shallow end of the pool. Remy had reluctantly filled her in on his John comment when they left the doctor's office. Her first instinct was to confront Erik on the unimaginable thing he did, but Remy quickly reminded her that that would get him killed. It had then dawned on her what kind of trouble they were truly in. All this time, she knew it would be bad if Erik found out, but she thought he would kick them out, not murder them in cold blood. Erik had quickly found the two after he told her, leaving them no chance to discuss what they were going to do. She had quickly excused herself to go to the pool, feigning nausea while Remy filled Erik in on the fictional facts of his fictional child.

She was snapped out of her trance when she heard someone enter the pool. She looked over to see Lorna walking towards her. "Hey, Rogue," she gave a half smile. Lorna was absolutely the last person she wanted to see right now. She had promised the girl that she'd get to the bottom of John's disappearance, but now that she had she didn't have the heart to tell her. "Have you found anything out about John yet?" the girl asked in a whisper once she reached Rogue, as if she could read her guilty thoughts.

"Ah'm still figuring some stuff out, Lorna," she said unconvincingly, tears threatening to spill out. 'Damned hormones,' she thought.

Lorna eyed her skeptically. "Rogue, you promised me you'd tell me what you found out..." she trailed off, watching the woman with the white streak avoid her eyes. "I saw the way he looks at you, you know," she said, tone turning cold.

Rogue's head whipped up to meet Lorna's eyes. "What?"

"I know there's something going on Rogue, now tell me what I want to know! Is that baby even my father's?" she asked harshly.

Rogue's unshed tears spilled over down her flushed cheeks. "Lorna, why are you doing this?"

The green haired girl broke into sobs, throwing her arms around Rogue. "Oh, God, Rogue, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it, I just... I have to know. I've been dying inside, just dying, and I have to know Rogue, please."

Rogue wrapped a warm arm around the young girl and shushed her cries. She took several deep breathes before continuing. "Lorna... I don't know how to tell you this..."

Pulling back, Lorna looked up at her, her green lips quivering. "He's dead, isn't he?"

Rogue solemnly nodded and the girl broke into tears. She sobbed for several minutes before gathering enough composure to speak. "I just don't understand. If John died in battle, why wouldn't my father just tell me?"

Rogue's eyes widened at the realization of the girl's misunderstanding. For a moment she considered letting her think that, but she had promised the only member of her family that gave her the time of day and felt she owed her the truth. "No, Lorna. It was Erik who had him killed. He found out that he was seeing you somehow, and he... he..." the words caught in her throat.

Lorna's sadness turned to rage in seconds. "My father did this? My FATHER killed the man I love?" she screamed, uncaring who heard her. She looked at Rogue with a flat expression, all emotion leaving her face. "How do you know this, Rogue? Who told you?"

Rogue hesitated only a split second before answering, "I overheard Pietro."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N - So, I'm not in love with this chapter. It's kind of the calm before the storm so for me, (maybe because I know what's happening next), it seemed a little slow. If it seems that way to you all, bear with me please! I promise the good stuff is coming!**

**Don't own them! Reviews are welcome :)**

Erik sat in his war room in a rare moment alone. He toyed with the things on the table, mulling over the news that Remy had just given him. Rogue was pregnant with a male child. He should've been ecstatic to have someone to take over his kingdom, but something wasn't right. Remy had told her that the child was conceived on July 10th, indeed the day that Erik and Rogue had last been intimate, but he vaguely recalled trying to get close to her again several days after that and her being unable to because she was on her period.

Erik knew that it was possible that Rogue was just using that as an excuse because she wasn't in the mood, but his gut was telling him different. He levitated the metal paperweight on the table a few inches into the air and dropped it over and over again. His mind went back to the war room earlier and how Rogue had looked first at Pietro when she announced the news. He began to reflect on how often he would catch his son eyeing his wife in the past year, how often he'd pipe up to praise her.

He slammed the paperweight down a last time and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He did not like the thoughts forming in his head. Surely it was ludicrous to think that any woman would go behind his back, especially for a sniveling specimen like Pietro, but the evidence could not be ignored. He pondered for a moment if he should send Sabretooth or Gambit to get some answers from him, the answer depending on how harsh a message he felt needed to be delivered.

* * *

Pietro paced in his room, fuming. 'So that bitch finally got herself knocked up with my replacement,' he thought, slamming his fist into the nearest wall. 'And the nerve of her to stare at me as she said! Rubbing it in my face!' He closed his eyes, trying to steady his rapid breath, feeling the urge to simply take off. He could be out of this place before these people blinked an eye, but to run off would mean that his father was right in what he thought about him. Coward. Weak. He would not be those things.

He had been certain that there was something going on between Rogue and Gambit, but for the life of him, he couldn't dig deeper. There was a reason that Remy LeBeau was one of the best thieves in the world, he knew how to keep secrets. He knew how to sneak around. Pietro was sure that if he could just prove their involvement and bring it to his father's attention, he would be back in his good graces.

Pietro was jarred out of his thoughts by a loud pounding on the door. He ignored it, but soon he heard the crunch of metal as the door handle flew from the door itself into the room. Panicked, Pietro wondered whether he should flee or face his father, his mind racing through anything he might have done to anger him lately, other than simply existing. The fact that he was coming up empty-handed was soon explained when a petite, green-haired form entered the room with fire in her eyes. "Lorna! What the hell? You broke my door and scared me half to death!"

With a flick of her wrist, a metal piece from his bed broke off and went to pin him against the wall. Moving quickly even for Pietro, he dodged it, just to be met with another piece, slamming him roughly against the wall. "Tell me you didn't do this, Pietro!"

"What are you talking about?" he demanded, wondering if he could wiggle fast enough to loosen himself, but quickly deciding against it when he saw the tears streaming down her face as she approached him.

"John! I know he's dead, Pietro! I know father had him killed." She paused for a moment, gathering herself and stared up into his eyes. "Did you do it?" she asked in an eerie calm.

"Do you really think dad would've trusted that kind of job to me?" he spat bitterly. In an instant he was released into a heap on the floor and Lorna was gone.

Remy stared blankly at his phone, still stunned at the call he'd just received. This day had officially hit every stop on the emotional roller coaster. He held his head in his hands and took a deep breath, trying to gather himself. He was going to be a father. Although the situation was grave, he couldn't help but feel his heart fill with warmth at the thought of his son growing in the woman he loved. A woman who was married to the most powerful man on the island. He sighed, rubbing his temples, willing it all to make sense.

And after a day of a strange mix of happiness and fear, he got a call from his lover's husband with the request to question his own son about the possibility of sleeping with his wife. 'Hello, twilight zone,' he thought. Remy obviously knew that Pietro was not the man having an affair with Rogue, but the fact that Erik was suspecting that she was being unfaithful meant that she and his unborn child were no longer safe.

Remy racked his brain, desperate for a way to get this off of him and Rogue and onto Pietro. Surely Erik wouldn't kill his only son, would he? Remy squeezed his eyes shut tighter, trying to calm the urge to charge something. He let out a breath and opened his eyes when the realization hit him. He was going to have to reach out to someone off the island for help. Content with this plan for now, he raised out of his seat to get to work. He had a person to break.

Pietro's bad day got even worse when his father summoned him to the war room. His mood sank further when he entered the room and saw the man he hated most in there, waiting for him. Pietro silently took a seat, waiting for the others to arrive. His brows furrowed when Gambit moved over to the door and locked it.

His eyes flicked up to the Cajun, now blocking the door with his body. "Moi et yo' are gonna have a little talk, homme."

Pietro scoffed. "I don't have anything to say to _you_," he spat.

"Well unless yo' want daddy himself t'come down here, you'll talk t'moi," Remy said, eyes narrowing, pulling his Gambit persona to the forefront. The words snapped Pietro to attention. Remy knew there was nothing to get out of Pietro, but he was making things up as he went along, hoping that he could intimidate Pietro enough to get him nervous, to have him slip up. Pietro was a man ready to snap, he only needed a push, and Remy was more than happy to oblige.

"My father sent you?"

"Oui. So maybe yo' tell me about it and we can work somethin' out, non?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. Why did he send you here?"

Remy's eyes narrowed as he walked closer to the visibly shaken man. "T'ink yo' know why, homme. Yo' want t' explain t'me what's been goin' on between you and yo' daddy's wife?" Remy bit back the sour taste in his mouth when he made the accusation, hating the fact that he even had to put Rogue's name in the same sentence as Pietro's.

Pietro laughed bravely in the Cajun's face, trying to conceal his anxiousness. "Shouldn't you be asking yourself that, Gambit?"

Remy, for his part, concealed his emotions much better than Pietro. Outside, he didn't so much as flinch, but inside, his mind was in a flurry. Did Pietro just accuse him of what he thought he did? His entire day had been spent racking his brain about what would happen in 7 or 8 months when the baby was born with his devil eyes, but up until now he hadn't considered that anyone was already suspecting the two of infidelity. Though sometimes they got caught up in the throes of passion, they had been mostly careful. There certainly wasn't a time where anything had passed between them in front of Pietro, right? His mind raced, frantic to get back on track. He took a breath and continued. "Makin' a crazy accusation like dat ain't exactly gonna help yo' cause with Magneto."

Pietro seemed to mull this over for a moment. As much as he wanted to prove that there was something going on between Remy and Rogue, the thief was right. Accusing his right hand man of something he already suspected his son for was sure to get him nothing but more trouble. "Look, I haven't touched Rogue. I don't want to touch Rogue. I would never disrespect my father that way!" he cried, face contorting as if he was a child having a tantrum.

"Gambit hopes yo' right, homme. 'Cause it ain't just him lookin' into it. And Erik won't be quite as easy on yo' as he was on John," he finished with his most intimidating glare before turning and leaving the war room, heading straight back to his quarters.

* * *

Utterly ridiculous was all he could think about the situation. Bullying someone about something he knew didn't happen and that he knew he could never prove. Completely pointless, he knew, but if he could at least make Pietro see that the heat was on him, perhaps he would begin to get careless, which meant less for Remy to worry about. A careless Pietro was one he didn't have to worry about catching him and Rogue. A careless Pietro would be such a thorn in his father's side that Erik would be blind to all things except for his contempt for his son. The only thing left to do was for Remy to ensure Rogue's safety in the event that Pietro did begin making himself look guilty for something he didn't even do. He checked his phone for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past hour to see if his contact had called him back. Still nothing.

Frustrated, he pushed open his door to find a long-legged Southern Belle waiting for him, perched at the edge of his bed. He quickly closed the door behind him and locked it. "Chére?"

She stood up, wringing her hands. "Ah'm sorry, Remy, but Ah had to see ya. Erik got an urgent call from his contact off the island and left. Ah know it's too risky but Ah was careful, Ah promise –" he cut off her apology with a forceful kiss to her lips. Before he could stop himself, his fingers were wrapped up in her hair, deepening their kiss as he pushed her back onto the bed. Her hands soon followed suit, grabbing greedily at his hot skin as he lifted his shirt up over his head, only breaking their kiss for a second.

He dipped down, prepared to take the edge of her t-shirt in his teeth and lift it over her head as well when he came to an abrupt halt eye level with her still-flat abdomen. He pushed her shirt up over her stomach, prompting her to remove it, but he made no move further, staring in awe at her belly. "Remy?" she asked, breaking his trance and causing him to look up at her. "Ya can't see anything yet," she said with a shy smile.

"Mon chére," he said softly reaching up to graze a soft finger against her cheek. He moved his s finger down to he taut tummy and gave it a tender kiss. "Mon enfant." In one swift movement he was face to face with her again, his body atop hers, looking sincerely into her eyes. "Je t'aime, Rogue," he confessed as he gently cupped her face, feeling a weight on his shoulders lift.

"Ah love you too, Remy," she whispered back with tears brewing in her eyes. For the first time today, she didn't blame the hormones. She leaned into him, capturing his lips in a kiss as she picked up where he had left off. She knew they had things to talk about, things to plan, but for now, she only wanted to feel his skin as close to hers as humanly possible.


	10. Chapter 10

**Don't own them! Reviews are welcome :)**

The next few months passed quietly at the castle. When Erik had returned from the mainland, Remy filled him in on his conversation with Pietro, in his own words of course. He did his best to make it sound as if Pietro had given away no information, but continued to arise his suspicion. He also tried to stress that Rogue had given him no indication that she'd been unfaithful. The man's eerie calm in ordering the death of his daughter's love had served as a warning to tread lightly. Though he didn't think that Erik would physically harm his wife, he couldn't be sure.

He had been working quietly with someone off of the island to ensure Rogue's safety, but it wasn't moving as quickly as he'd like. His associate wanted the situation to benefit them both, when Remy only cared about Rogue and his child's well being. The urgency of the situation hit him that very night. He waited patiently in his room for the clock to inch closer to 3 AM. At least once per week, Remy met Rogue late at night in some deserted room of the castle. When Rogue had started showing over a month ago, Remy tried to make their meetings happen more often, but Rogue knew that the risk wasn't worth it to their child. Remy reluctantly agreed.

At five minutes until three, Remy made his way to the library. He walked through the darkened shelves of books with the grace of a cat, the lack of light not a factor to his unique eyes. Unique eyes that his son would inherit. He couldn't help a smile from forming on his face at the thought as he walked further back into the library, searching desperately for the missing piece of his heart. He came to a stop in the dimly lit 'Foreign Languages' section to see a breathtaking sight. A now 20-weeks along Rogue held one delicate hand over her swelled belly, and in the other sat an open French book, as she read a few horribly accented sentences to the unborn child. A smile pulled further at his lips as he watched her for a moment before announcing his presence. "Whatcha doin', chére?"

Rogue nearly jumped out of her skin, dropping the book with a gasp. "Remy! Ya scared me half to death!" Her surprise melted away and an embarrassed expression took its place. "Ah was just readin' French to the baby. Ah want him to be able to speak it like ya, so Ah thought it wouldn't hurt for me to learn some either."

Remy stepped up to her, scooping the book up and leaning into her for a kiss. He subconsciously rested a hand on her belly as he greeted her. She began to deepen their kiss when the thief suddenly jumped back away from her, a terrified look masking his face. "Remy, what's wrong?" she asked in a hurried whisper, worried that someone may be approaching.

"Chére, yo' stomach!" he choked out, pointing to it as if she wouldn't know what he was talking about. "It moved."

Rogue stifled a giggle. "He's just kickin', Rems. Ah've felt him movin' for awhile, but he just started kickin' enough to feel it on the outside."

"I know. I know he's just kickin', I just…" Remy searched for the words to explain his wonder and confusion. "Is dis de first time he's doin' it?"

Rogue's face dropped and she turned away from him, suddenly concentrating on her hands. "He's been doin' it for a few days now. Erik felt it first. He's been followin' me around like a damned fool, just like everybody else. Ah'm tired of these people puttin' their hands on him."

Remy's anger spiked. It was not acceptable that his woman, the mother of his child, was being put through this. It was not acceptable that he was not allowed to be the doting father to be and that he had to fear for his love's life. He'd had enough. He stepped towards Rogue, wrapping a protective arm around her. "I'm gettin' us outta here, Rogue. I promise yo' dat." It was time for action.

* * *

The next morning, Remy spoke heatedly with his associate. He explained that Rogue's safety was being compromised in the wait and, after much back and forth, Remy won out, and help was on the way that very evening.

* * *

Pietro's life had gone to shit. Although it had been months since his joke of an interrogation, he still felt his father's judging eyes on him whenever he entered a room where Rogue was. He sat uncomfortably at the dinner table with his father, sisters, and step_mother_. He shoveled the food on his plate into his mouth, feeling, as usual, famished from his super high metabolism. He concentrated on his plate as to not meet with Lorna's glare, his father's disappointment, or the growing belly that housed his replacement. When the food was gone, Pietro sat while the rest of the family picked at their dinner. When the doorbell rang, he swung his head towards the sound gratefully. "I'll get it."

Erik's eyebrows furrowed. "We have help for that," he commented sternly.

"It's okay, father, I'll get to it before them anyway." With that, Pietro was out of the room before Erik could even explain that that wasn't his point. Pietro opened the door to find a bald man in an extremely fancy wheelchair smiling at him. "Can I help you?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Pietro. My name is Charles Xavier. I'm here to see your father."

Pietro, confused at how the man knew his name, stepped away from the door to allow him in. He allowed the man to follow him into the dining room. Erik nearly dropped his fork when Charles entered, catching it with his powers at the last moment before it hit the floor. "Charles?"

"Good to see you, Erik."

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Erik asked in a tone Pietro was certain he'd never heard before.

"Shall we talk somewhere more private?" Charles asked, taking note of the three women at the table with a friendly smile.

"Of course," Erik agreed, pushing away from the table and walking out of the dining room. Noticing Pietro at their heels, he turned sharply. "This doesn't concern you, Pietro. Go back with your sisters."

Pietro's face reddened, embarrassed in front of the stranger. "That's what you think of me, isn't it, father? I might as well be a daughter to you! Especially now that you've got your new son on the way!"

Erik stepped up to the boy, who cowered back, and spoke barely above a whisper. "You are not half the leader or the fighter of your sisters. Stand down, Pietro. Go back to the dining hall."

Pietro stood for a moment, shaking visibly. He looked to be considering whether to fight or run, but he decided on the latter. Trembling with anger, he turned away and retreated to his room.

Once in the war room, sitting across from his old friend, Erik seemed to relax a bit. "Charles, I thought we'd agreed that our meetings would always take place at your residence."

Charles' friendly face turned solemn. "I'm afraid, my friend, that I am not here as your contact.

Erik tensed, but his face gave away nothing as he stared across the table at his old friend. His voice turned cold. "What is it that you're here for then, Charles?"

"It's about your wife, Erik." Charles paused, and when Erik said nothing, continued on. "I need to bring her back with me."

Erik closed his eyes, the unspoken confirmation of his suspicions causing anger to fill him to the brim. "Whose is it? Pietro's? Did he contact you?"

"Pietro? No, of course not Erik. It doesn't matter whose child it is. Rogue is coming back with me, Erik. Please don't make this more difficult than it needs to be."

Erik erupted, sending the metal table between them flying with a flick of his wrist. Charles did not flinch. "Whose child is in my _wife_, Charles?"

Charles steepled his fingers and closed his eyes. "The child is Remy's."

Erik stopped, stunned. He was silent for several minutes before breaking into maniacal laughter. "Of course it is! Of course it's Remy's. How could I have let myself become so blind?" His laughter cut off as quickly as it began and his eyes narrowed. "Where is he?"

"He's coming with me as well," Charles said, standing firm.

"You and what army is going to stop me from getting my due vengeance, Charles?"

"My army of X-Men and the US government that are surrounding your island and awaiting my command."


	11. Chapter 11

**You guys got whiplash by how quick this came out, right?**

**Don't own them! Reviews are welcome :)**

"My army of X-Men and the US government that are surrounding your island and awaiting my command," Charles spoke calmly and looked at his friend. He wondered for a moment if he was going too far, but he knew that this all ended today. He felt a rotten twist in his stomach for betraying his dear friend, but when he created the X-Men he made a promise to work for mutant kind's greater good, no matter what that meant for his personal relationships. He prayed that Erik came quietly, or things were going to get worse.

"So that's what this has come down to, is it Charles? I knew you never approved of Genosha, but you've always been a confidant for me!"

"Erik, this is not the paradise you think it is. Clearly, from what I hear, your own wife must fear for her life. You've taken the lives of innocent mutants. You know I can not stand for that!"

Erik tensed, knowing that Remy must've told him about Pyro. He cursed under his breath, his face turning stern, cold. "Then your team better be prepared for a fight. You will not take all I've built from me so easily!" he growled.

"I would not do that if I were you, Erik."

"Why not? I've got more mutants than you! You think your precious homo sapiens can stop _my_ army? They can't-"

"The attack on your island several months ago," Charles cut in, stopping Erik's rant.

"What of it, Charles? You're the one that warned me about it."

"Precisely. And they didn't put up much of a fight, did they?"

"What have you done?" Erik demanded on him, closing the gap between them, looking down at the bald man.

"I am sorry, old friend. I did not wish to lose your friendship, but I must do what's best for mutant kind."

"What have you done?"

"I set up that attack. I let you know about it so that your mutants would be prepared and would fight, using their powers and allowing me to get a read on the entire island's inhabitants through cerebro. The information comes in much clearer when a mutant is actively using their power."

"I should know, Charles. I helped you design it," Erik said, emotionless.

"We have information on all of your mutant fighters, Erik. There is no way for you to win this. Come back with me. Join my X-Men. We can all work together for the greater good!"

"I've MADE the greater good here, Charles! And I'll be damned if you take it away!" His voice lowered once more. "I will not kill you, old friend, but if you don't find your way out of my home in the next 5 minutes I have plenty of soldiers who will." He started towards the door, opening it roughly. "I'll see you on the battlefield."

Erik stepped out of the war room and found Pietro down the hall, obviously running away from eavesdropping. He called out to him. "Pietro, it's time we fight. Ready the troops."

Pietro looked sourly at him. "Isn't that Gambit's job?" he asked while whipping out his phone and sending the message.

"Gambit is dead to me, as he soon will be to this Earth," Erik replied. Pietro's face lit up at this. He had overheard that Rogue's child was Remy's, but to hear that his father was planning to kill him was music to his ears. His phone sprang to life.

"Sabretooth and the troops are ready. The fight is beginning outside. Xavier must have sent the order," Pietro said.

"And has Colossus gathered your sisters?"

"No word."

Erik sighed, turning towards his son and placing a hand on his shoulder. "I need you to fight with me, Pietro."

Pietro's face lit up further. "Of course, father."

"I need you to go find your sisters. Take them to Colossus and rejoin me."

"Yes, sir," Pietro promised and was gone in an instant.

Erik had just gotten changed into his battle uniform when there was a knock at his door. He beckoned Pietro to enter.

"Father, I'm afraid I have bad news."

"What is it? Did you find your sisters?"

"No, I can't find them anywhere. And Colossus… has defected. He took Illyana and joined the X-Men."

"Traitors, all around me!" he cried out, slamming his fist down on the nearest table.

"We will make them pay, father," Pietro assured him. "Are you ready for us to join the fight?"

Erik sighed. "Yes, Pietro, I am going to join the fight. Your job is to find your sisters. Do not come back until you find them," he said as Pietro walked towards the door, "especially Wanda!"

Pietro stopped just short of the door. "Why especially Wanda?"

Erik answered calmly, not bothering to look at his son. "Now that my heir is no longer my heir, I'll need someone to take over for me if something happens today."

Pietro's hands balled into trembling fists. His eyes wrenched shut. "What?" he asked, voice barely a whisper.

Erik sighed. "Pietro, now is not the time. We will discuss it later."

Pietro turned towards his father. "No! I have done everything you've asked for my entire life! I won't take one more step until you tell me why I'm not good enough to take over!"

Erik faced him, standing in the middle of the room, anger marring his face. "You just don't have it in you, Pietro. You never have. There's nothing you can do about it. You weren't _born_ with the ability to lead, to command respect. You don't _have_ it. Now, find your sister and don't come back until you have," he said sternly.

Pietro turned visibly red before him, as if steam would soon come tumbling out of his ears. His entire body began to shake uncontrollably. His face twitched, and Erik suddenly became aware that the boy had snapped, but a moment too late. In the blink of an eye, Pietro was standing on the other side of his father, passing by him in a flash, back turned to the man. Behind him, Erik fell to his knees, his neck twisted so horrifically that, although his body pointed away from Pietro, his face looked towards him, the smug, annoyed expression still on his face. His body hit the ground with a thud, the gravity of what Pietro had just done hitting him.

He turned towards his father, now lying lifelessly on the ground. Tears filled his eyes as he kneeled down next to him. Madness overcame the man. "Father?"

No response answered him.

He closed his eyes, a few stray tears escaping down his cheeks. "I will avenge you, father. I promise you. I will kill Remy LeBeau."


	12. Chapter 12

**Don't own them! Reviews are welcome :)**

Rogue paced nervously in the den, arguing with Remy while Lorna, Wanda, and Hank sat, watching them. "Remy, the Professor said for all of us to stay here while everythin' gets worked out outside!"

"Chére, I can't just sit here while dis battle is fought because of us!"

"It would've happened either way! The X-Men have been plannin' this for awhile, ya said so yourself!"

Lorna and Hank thought about intervening with their opinions, but decided against it. Wanda, meanwhile, was concentrating on hexing the room to keep them invisible. Pietro had zoomed passed earlier looking for them and the professor had given them strict rules to stay put, as the X-Men worked as a unit and he didn't have enough information on their powers to risk them fighting along side his team yet.

Rogue was annoyed. She felt as if her whole life she was being shooed away from battles. She was 'too important,' needing to be protected. In truth, she could fight circles around most mutants; she practiced for hours each day. She understood Remy's urge to be out there in the action, making a difference, but since becoming pregnant her priorities had changed. Now, all that mattered was the safety of her child and her love. Remy stepped up to her, lowering his voice considerably and grabbing her gently by the shoulders. "Rogue, I've got t'go help ensure yo' safety. I want us t'be able to be a family. Together."

She rushed into his arms and enveloped him in an embrace. "Ah love ya Remy," she cooed softly, pulling her head back just enough to look him in the eyes. "But if ya think you're goin' out there, it's gonna be over my dead body, sugah." Lorna stifled a giggle and Remy gave her an unhappy glare. The mood suddenly changed when a large beast barreled into the room, flailing dangerous claws in many directions.

"Ya may be able to hide yourself, witch, but ya can't hide your scent from me!" Sabretooth growled, growing closer to the group. The five stood, spreading out slowly in the room, Remy keeping to Rogue and Hank keeping to Lorna and Wanda, who was still keeping their visibility hidden. Hank, Wanda and Lorna moved towards one door while Remy and Rogue approached another. The two sisters were about to follow Hank's all clear out of the door when Sabretooth snarled "I can smell ya, green frail! It's time ya got the same treatment I gave Johnny boy!"

Upon hearing this, Lorna froze only for a second before springing into action. She pushed her sister through the door behind Hank, breaking her concentration and lifting their veil. Using her powers she slammed the door behind them and set the deadbolt. As quickly as Lorna reacted, Rogue was quicker. Halfway through her door following Remy, who was checking to make sure the coast was clear, she heard the comment and pounced back inside at before the door could shut, locking Remy out. She immediately heard his cry. It felt like a stabbing at her chest as she imagined him doing everything he could to explode the door. Of course, she knew, it was of no use. Erik was a master of mutants. His castle was built to be a disadvantage to every power but his… and Lorna's. Rogue knew she should've gone with Remy, but Lorna had been the only one in this family to treat her as such, and she would not let the girl face John's murderer alone. Rogue stayed back as the two began to fight. If Lorna wanted vengeance, she'd give her every chance she could to have it.

A large metal table whipped across the room and smacked against Sabretooth's large frame. He let out a guttural roar as he staggered back, the gaping wound on his forehead already beginning to close. He laughed at the small girl, whose fiery eyes had lost all sense of innocence. He leaped towards her, claws first and she barely dodged away in time, a large scratch forming down the side of her face. Two metal chairs flung up towards the beast. He dodged the first, meeting the other with a thud, but it hardly fazed him.

They continued at it – Sabretooth lunging towards her and Lorna fending him off with furniture until Rogue came to the realization that he was simply toying with her, taunting her. Playing with his food before he ate it. He leaped towards her, this time scooping her up by her small waist in his massive hands and began to squeeze. The table that was on the way to smash against him faltered as Lorna screamed out.

Rogue sprung into action. She dove towards Sabretooth, but the mutant had picked up her scent. He swung around, keeping Lorna between the two of them so that Rogue couldn't get to his skin. He seemed quite proud of himself, not realizing that in Rogue's frantic reaching, she was actually trying to rub against Lorna's skin, not Victor's. A rare look of surprise marred his face when the table hit him from behind, the ends wrapping around him when he dropped a gasping Lorna to the floor. Rogue squeezed the table around him, pinning his arms to his sides and crushing whatever bones she could muster. She did her best to fuse the ends of the table together, pinning Sabretooth in the table completely. He tilted over, growling in frustration and unable to move. She rushed down to Lorna.

"Come on, sugah, Ah know it hurts, but we gotta get outta here before he gets outta that," she said, rubbing a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Kill him! Kill him, Rogue! Please! He killed John!" Lorna cried, clutching at her swollen ribs.

"Ah'm not even sure if ya _can_ kill him, Lorna, besides, you're better than him. We're better than him Lorna, it's time to walk away."

Lorna sniffled, collecting her tears. Saying nothing, she nodded solemnly and Rogue heard the doors unlock and swing open. She leaned on Rogue for help up, and the two walked away from the snarling creature.

* * *

Remy's heart stopped completely when he heard the door slam and lock behind him. It went from still to racing when he confirmed that Rogue was not on the right side of the door. He immediately raised his fists, banging on the door furiously, yelling out Rogue's name with an urgency and tone that he didn't know he was capable of. Panicked, he reached for his cards, charging them and whipping them towards the door. He used a mild charge in case she was on the other side of that door, but to his horror, the card popped on the door with no damage. He charged the next one higher and higher until he was charging them to maximum power, flinging several at the door at once. Nothing. Terror gripping him, he reached to the door handle and attempted to charge that instead. Nothing.

Dread flowed through his veins, feeling like ice-cold water. He wracked his brain in an attempt to figure out how the door was immune to his power so that he could reverse it, but… nothing. He banged helplessly on the door again, calling out her name, just to hear it this time. Behind him, he heard a maniacal laugh. He whipped around to see Quicksilver standing at the other end of the room.

"Your bitch is on the other side of that door dying right now, and you're next," he said coldly, a leer on his face.

Rage unlike anything he'd ever known filled Remy, and the ice-cold water that had been flowing through his veins now boiled. He narrowed his demonic eyes at Quicksilver, pulling out his cards. He was going to regret those words.


	13. Chapter 13

**And it's finally at an end. Hope you all enjoyed. There WILL be an epilogue (promise), because there wasn't enough ROMY in this to end it completely :) And maybe a sequel some day? I don't know. Oh, and thanks to Hope, this first part is for your fangirl squeal ;)**

Rage unlike anything he'd ever known filled Remy, and the ice-cold water that had been flowing through his veins now boiled. He narrowed his demonic eyes at Quicksilver, pulling out his cards. He was going to regret those words.

A tight smirk plastered on his face. "En garde,"he spat through clenched teeth as he let a handful of cards fly towards Quicksilver, who dodged out of the way before they could make contact. Before Remy could pull out another card, he was hit by what seemed like the air, the only thing confirming otherwise was that Quicksilver now stood on the other side of him, grinning like the cat that got the cream.

Remy began to grow frustrated with their dance after a few minutes of him narrowly missing his target and, more times than not, getting hit out of thin air. As Quicksilver drew near him again, Remy anticipated the blow, managing to catch him in the jaw. The two began to fight up close and personal, but with Pietro's speed, it was impossible for Remy to get in a debilitating blow. After one too many punches to the face, Remy began to feel light-headed and decided that distance was his best option. He grabbed onto Quicksilver's collar and threw him as far as he could down the hall.

Remy shook the dizziness out of his head as they began their dance of missed cards and speedy punches again, getting nowhere. Remy growled in annoyance and pulled out his telescopic bo staff as he threw another fistful of cards towards his enemy. Not waiting to see his miss, he charged up the bo staff and slammed it towards the ground as Quicksilver was running towards him. The structure of the floor shook beneath their feet, tripping Quicksilver up and causing him to fall at Remy's feet. Without a moment's hesitation, Remy lifted the bo staff and brought it down upon Quicksilver's temple, knocking him out cold.

Behind him, the door opened. Rogue walked out. Remy turned his attention from the silver-haired man to his beloved. He rushed to her, scooping her into his arms, hugging her tightly. "Chére, yo' okay!" he cried, nuzzling his face into her neck. "I thought…" his voice hitched, unable to finish the thought.

"Ah'm okay, sugah. It's okay," she purred to him, running a comforting hand up and down his back. "Ya can't get rid of us that easy, swamp rat."

Behind them, Quicksilver stirred. He opened his eyes to see the couple in an emotional embrace. Hatred seared through him. He snatched up the bo staff laying beside him and lifted it high over his head. "For my father!" he screamed with rage, ready to barrel the staff down upon them both until nothing but dust remained. Instead, he found himself unable to move at all. Remy and Rogue turned at the sound of his voice, Remy shielding Rogue's body with his own. A puzzled look crossed their faces at his stillness.

"I believe the only one you can blame for your father's fate is yourself, Pietro," a voice came from behind him. Looking past the man, Rogue and Remy saw Charles Xavier coming towards them, several of his X-Men in tow.

Lorna, Wanda, and Hank stepped through the door behind Rogue into the room. "What is he talking about?" Lorna asked.

"Wanda, Lorna," Professor Xavier said as he came to a halt, "I'm so sorry, but it seems your father, my old friend, has met his end with an unfortunate accident at the hands of your brother."

"What?" Lorna cried, tears filling her eyes. She hated her father for what he did to John, but the fact that he had died at the hands of her brother left her conflicted.

Wanda, on the other hand, was livid. While she was willing to leave her father's island to be with the man she loved, she still loved her father deeply. She was his favorite child, she _knew_ that. Her blood boiled as she looked at her brother, frozen in front of her.

Charles' attention flashed from Pietro to Wanda in an instance. "Wanda. We have him contained. His mind isn't right. We will take him back with us and help him to get better."

"There is no helping him. There has never been help for him," she said eerily calm, her eyes going cold.

Charles broke his concentration over Pietro to enter Wanda's mind, attempting to calm her. Quicksilver, in Xavier's moment of distraction, broke free and seized the opportunity to bring the staff down upon the couple that had ruined his life. With reflexes like a cat, Remy pushed Rogue back. She cried out as the staff came down, but a mere moment before it struck a blow to Remy, the staff disintegrated in his hands. "Wanda!" Xavier yelled, turning towards Pietro.

Puzzled, Pietro let out a yell and flung himself towards Remy only to be halted as a deep voice called out his name. He turned his head, seemingly unfazed that the rest of the mutants had vanished completely. "Father?"

"Come, my son. It's time to go home," Magneto said, reaching a hand out to the befuddled man. Pietro walked up to him, gratefully taking his hand. A smile finally graced his face.

Remy watched as the man who had been attacking him glazed over completely. A puzzled look marred his face as he heard Pietro call out to Xavier as his father. "What's happenin' t'him?" he asked in a whisper.

"I've simply made him more… manageable to take with us," Wanda grinned evilly.

"Wanda, I will not tolerate such reckless tainting with the mind," Xavier scolded. "I will let this slide because Remy's life was in immediate danger, but if you want to be a part of the X-Men, you will help me put Pietro's mind back so we can heal him properly when we get back to New York." With a gentle hand on her shoulder from Hank, Wanda nodded solemnly, agreeing.

Remy wrapped an arm around Rogue as the group turned to leave the prison that most of them had been residing in for a good portion of their lives. Leaving to once and for all be free. For the first time in a long time, Remy felt hopeful. He leaned over to brush a gentle kiss to Rogue's lips and together they went home.


	14. Epilogue

**And, here it is! The end! I hope you enjoyed as much as I did!**

**Also, for those of you that are also reading The Only Exception, as that story is winding down, I'm trying to plan my next, so let me know - do you prefer the more serious, darker Secrets of the Hierarchy, or a more light hearted drama like The Only Exception? Leave in the comments :)**

**I don't own them.**

Epilogue

Remy pushed the motorcycle as fast as it could go through the dark, deserted highway. _Merde, I'm never gonna make it in time,_ he thought, his stomach twisting in knots. He told them he didn't want to go on any missions with Rogue so close to her due date, but when one came up that required a master thief, Rogue insisted he go and help. After all, the X-Men were the reason that they could finally be together. So he went. On the second night there, Dr. McCoy called to tell them that Rogue was in labor. By the time Wolverine and Cyclops had hung up the speakerphone and turned to face the room, Remy was long gone. He hot-wired a motorcycle he found in the parking lot and took off. He knew that Rogue wouldn't be happy about him stealing again, but if there ever was an emergency, this was it.

So here he was, 12 hours later, an hour outside of the mansion, pushing the stolen vehicle to it's limit, having only stopped to gas up twice. He would never forgive himself if he missed the birth of his son. A lump caught in his throat at the thought. His son, Olivier Etienne LeBeau, could be entering the world right now. He smiled a bit at the name. Olivier had been all Rogue's idea, but Etienne was his. After being there while his cousin Etienne drowned at his tithing, it felt like the least he could do to honor the boy who never had a chance to grow into the great man Remy knew he would be. He shook his head, willing the tears not to rise. Remy LeBeau had _never_ been a crier. It's amazing what falling deeply in love and starting a family could do to a man.

The smile reappeared on his face as he looked down at his wedding ring. He found it hard not to chuckle every time he looked at it. After that mess with Belle, he never thought he'd see a wedding day again. He had no desire to even consider it, until that stripe-haired vixen came waltzing into his life, flipping his entire world upside down. He asked her to marry him the second they got to New York. Rogue declined, feeling strange about the fact that just hours ago, she had a husband, and now he was dead. They later found that, although they had been married in a ceremony, Erik and Rogue's marriage wasn't legal. Genosha was it's own island – it's own world – and what held up there didn't hold up in the United States. This seemed to calm Rogue's guilt and angst, but Remy still had to ask her for 2 more months until she accepted, under the stipulation that it was small and immediate. They were going to go to the city hall, but the Professor had none of it. They ended up with a small ceremony in the back of the mansion, with the X-Men and even Remy's brother and sister-in-law as guests. At 7 ½ months pregnant, Remy never thought Rogue looked more beautiful than that day, in her white, flowing dress with wild curls pulled up off her face and pinned up with flowers. That was the first time he'd cried in years. Well, it was more of a single tear down the cheek, but from Henri's shocked face, you'd think he'd been bawling like a baby.

That may have been the first time a tear had gotten the best of Remy, but it wasn't the last. There had been a stray one or two that had snuck up on him while he looked at her, belly swelled with his child, while he thought about how lucky he was to have this after coming from a past like his. There were several when they had a scare that the baby's heart rate was too high. Luckily, Dr. McCoy's genius was able to figure out that baby was just taking after daddy, who's heart rate was naturally high due to his mutation. A few managed to escape in happiness and relief that day.

His thoughts snapped back to the present as he peeled up the drive to the mansion. He jumped off the bike before it even stopped, letting it crash to the ground still running. He bust through the front door, yelling to Bobby to please go turn off the bike in the driveway as he ran through the mansion to the stairwell. He took the stairs three at a time until he was at the basement door, bursting through it, racing up until he was outside of the medical lab. A yell from inside the room stopped him. First he could hear Rogue's cry, followed by Dr. McCoy's exclamation that he could see the head. Giddiness took over Remy's limbs until he was shaking. He hadn't missed it. Rogue cried again, snapping him into motion. He erupted through the door, at Rogue's side before anyone had even registered his presence.

Rogue's hand reached for his immediately, gripping it hard as she said through clenched teeth, "Nice of ya to show up, Swamp Rat." Remy chuckled, those damned tears in his eyes again, as he kissed her forehead. Married with a kid and she still didn't let him get away with anything. He decided to leave out the fact that she made him go on the mission and instead whispered sweet, French encouragements into her ear. Minutes later, he heard the cry that was the end of him. His son's beautiful song of life, wailing through his ears. Dr. McCoy and Jean Grey cleaned him off quickly and he was soon perched on his mother's tired, heaving breast.

Remy sat in awe next to Rogue, staring at his son in complete and utter bewilderment. He was afraid to move, to speak, to even breathe. Eventually, Hank and Jean left to give the couple a moment with their child. Rogue sat quietly for a few moments before reaching out a hand to Remy. "Ya okay, sugah?" she asked, voice ragged from overuse. Remy looked at her, eyes shining, a smile creeping onto his face. He tried to speak, but couldn't, settling on an enthusiastic nod. Rogue smiled lightly in return. "Would ya like to hold your son?"

That look of awe once again took over Remy's face as he gingerly reached out toward the tiny person. He picked Olivier up, holding him as if he were made of glass, until he had him safely tucked into his arms. Olivier wriggled slightly against the new hold, opening his eyes up for the first time. Remy froze as the familiar eyes locked with his. The boy was truly a spitting image of his father, other than those beautiful evergreen irises where Remy's scarlet ones resided. That feature was all his mother. A tear fell from his eyes and a smile broke out across his face as the newborn matched his gaze. Soon, Remy was laughing, unable to contain himself. He looked to Rogue to see her crying and laughing as well. He made his way to her as she made room for him on the hospital-like bed. Remy settled next to her, holding Olivier in between them, and reaching a free hand to grasp Rogue's arm. At that moment, he was truly a king. He never thought he'd have luck like this, and he'd be damned if he ever let anyone hurt his family.


End file.
